Sacramento's Shortstop, Jim McNamara

Jim McNamara

Jim McNamara passed away last week at the age of 84.

This is the eulogy regarding his baseball career.

Every love affair has a beginning, and for the McNamara Family, a love affair with baseball began on July 4^th 1918 just outside the small French town of Cantigny. Europe was into its fourth year of bloodshed and the arrival of the American Army brought hope that the war to end all wars would soon be over. The Americans saw their first action in late May, when they were ordered to take and hold the strategic town of Cantigny. After several weeks of nightmarish casualties brought on by shells filled with shrapnel and mustard gas, the Americans were victorious, and the German Army began a slow, but stubborn retreat back to their homeland. 

John McNamara, 1918

An exhausted American Army was treated to a special Independence Day party with all of the trappings of home. There was to be a BBQ, followed by a concert, and then the best entertainment possible: a baseball game. However, the night before, several German planes flew over and dropped bombs all around the American camp. No one was injured, but the baseball field was now dented by bomb craters. 

Attached to the 1^st Army was the 1^st Division of Engineers. These were the men who would go into “No Man’s Land” at night with wire cutters and shovels always under heavy fire. They would cut wire and dig trenches enabling the infantry to advance the next day. They had been crucial in the capture of Cantigny. John McNamara, who had emigrated from Ireland just three years previous, was a proud member of the 1^st Engineers. 

On a glorious Fourth of July Day, with thousands of French wild flowers blooming over a battle scared earth, John McNamara and his fellow 1^st Engineers carried out an important order from their commanding officer: repair that field! It didn’t take long to fill in the holes, and by game time the field looked as immaculate as that new stadium in Boston called Fenway Park.

John McNamara was never a ball player, but he understood that being an American meant knowing and understanding the National Pastime. After the war, he moved back to Sacramento, California, married a pretty Irish American redhead, and raised two daughters and three sons. In a story written for the Sacramento Union back in 1983, the writer waxed perhaps just a bit poetically: 

Frank, Jim, and John McNamara

Once upon a time there were three brothers who were given baseball gloves for their first communion . They loved the game. The oldest was a shortstop the youngest a center fielder, and the middle brother eagerly donned the catcher’s tools of ignorance. Their mother used to pack a picnic lunch, reserve a baseball diamond, and take the whole neighborhood gang to the park a day of fun and games.

Although John McNamara died when his family was very young, his son Jim recalled that he would occasionaly see him standing alone in the outfield, watching the game, after taking the bus from work to Land Park. But a few minutes later, Jim would look back and he would be gone.

Slick fielding CB shortstop

 Jim's early baseball career was buttressed by three baseball playing uncles, who also played in the 1920's at a small catholic institution in Sacramento called Christian Brothers. Playing for Christian Brothers was the most important thing in the world for a young ball player in Sacramento.

Storied names like  Joe Marty, Wally Westlake, and of course the Knezovich brothers played there. Jim would get a chance to join these legends when he made the varsity team in 1946. There have been a lot of great teams at CB, but I would match the 1946 team against any of them. They were a perfect 14 and 0 and crowned City Champions. Jim’s phenomenal defense steadied the team. While team mates and dear friends Mel Knezovich, Gil Urbano, and Ronnie King powered their way to the All City Team. Gil Urbano actually hit .625 for the season. While Mel Knezovich and Ronnie King turned into an unbeatable battery.

1946 undefeated CB Ball Team

In 1947, Brothers finished the season 12 and 4, but once again won the City Championship. Jim was never a great hitter, but his leadership and fielding was so respected that he made the All City Team.

The All City Class of 1947

Jim’s talent was not just confined to Sacramento, scouts began to follow him and in 1948 he was signed by the New York Giants and sent to their minor league affiliate in Anaheim and later San Bernadino. On the eve of his departure to begin his professional baseball career, Jim was given a brand new glove by some supportive friends in the neighborhood. The glove was made in Japan. On his arrival at spring training the next day, Jim’s manager, a former Marine who had served on Iwo Jima, took one look at the glove, grabbed it, and threw it in the garbage. Jim’s first day was also complicated by the fact that he had been to the lake the day before with his new team mates and was wickedly sunburned. Jim hit .217 that year, but was an immediate sensation at shortstop.

 The following year for San Bernadino, Jim’ new team mate was a young power hitter named Gene Petralli. And, of course there would be more Petrallis in the future.

San Bernadino in 1948

In 1950, Jim moved to the Pioneer League, where he led off and played shortstop for the Idaho Falls Russets. According to the team program, Jim was voted the best shortstop in the history of the franchise. He had a cannon for an arm, quick feet, and soft hands, all the ingredients of a great shortstop. 

Jim’s last year in pro ball was in 1953 for the Yakima Bears in the Western International League. He had been beaned several times in those rough and tumble days before helmets, and the grind was beginning to wear on him. He retired at the age of 25, moved back to Sacramento, married pretty Millie Petralli, and began a 35 year career as an administrator in the Sacramento County Court System.

However, baseball would remain a major focus in his life. He played bush baseball for years up and down the Sacramento Valley, getting paid under the table handsomely by teams in Chico and Colusa, to name just a few. With his brothers John and Frank, he helped Julius' Winter League team win three championships. He coached and lovingly watched his son Tom’s career, followed daughter Patti's cheer leading years, and then his six grand kids. He never missed a game. He even learned to like or maybe tolerate wrestling and rugby.

Jimmy and Millie would often attend spring training in Arizona. One year, after watching his brother John's California Angels beat Billy Martin's Oakland A's, he was asked by John to join him in the press tent for a beer. Jim replied that he'd better not because he promised to take Millie shopping.

"Come on, one beer!" protested John.
"Ok, one beer, but a quick one" agreed Jim.

Entering the press lounge, they sat down next to a dour Martin, already into his second whiskey. The two brothers chatted while Martin stewed. Jim took his last sip and said that he had to go, when John tried to talk him into one more, Jim said: "If I don't leave right now Millie is going to kick my ass."
Martin wheeled and glared at Jimmy and growled: "I'm going to kick your ass? You bet I can kick your ass!" To which John replied, "He said Millie not Billy!"

Charley O and Johnny Mac

Johnny McNamara never had a bigger supporter and defender than his older brother Jimmy. In 1970 when Johnny Mac was the manager of the Oakland A’s, Jim attended a party with him before the season began. The party was hosted by Charles O. Finley, the colorful and unpredictable owner of the A’s. Jimmy and Finley sat down and talked baseball for an extended period. Finley was amazed at the baseball acumen of Jimmy. Finally, Finley threw his hands up in the air and said: “I hired the wrong McNamara, you should be managing my team." Responding, Jimmy jammed his finger into Finley’s chest and said: "If I were your manager, that means you would have to fire John, and you should never fire John because he is the best thing that has ever happened to this ball club, The players know it and YOU should know it!" I don’t think Charles O was ever spoken to quite like that.

Frank, Jim, and John McNamara

Jim’s youngest brother Frank always said that he had three idols growing up: Ted Williams and his two brothers. And for over twenty five years, Frank got to play with Jim in Golden Senoirs softball. Rarely have two brothers been given the chance to spend so much quality time together on a ball field. Jim's skill in Senior Softball was so esteemed that he was actually voted to the All World Team, and his teams won the Senior World Series several times.

Jim McNamara

Jim loved Christian Brothers High School and he was the face of the La Salle Club for many years. In that role he helped raise thousands of dollars for scholarships and equipment. He chaired the Baseball Hall of Fame Dinner for 13 years and his stamp on the event and the over 450 members enshrined is indelible.

Finally, Jim had one more gift to give baseball. A committee was formed to chronicle the long and storied history of Christian Brothers High School, and Jim was asked to write about baseball. For two years he researched and wrote what accounts to a 70 page book.

 I had the pleasure of assisting him towards the end. Now, for as long as Christian Brothers stands, people will be able to read about those wonderful days where the quality of baseball played was equal to the quality of men who played it. And it will be many a day, before we see a ball player and a man the quality of Jim McNamara.

Jim McNamara Remembered

Jim McNamara was the starting shortstop for Christian Brothers High School in 1946 and 1947. His slick fielding was key in helping the Gaels finish the 1946 season with a perfect 15 and 0 record, and a city championship. In 1947, as co-captain, he was selected to the “All City” team by both the Sacramento Union and Bee newspapers. 

Jim's 1946 Christian Brothers Team was 15 and 0.

Jim was signed by the New York Giants in 1950 and played 5 season of professional baseball with Anaheim, San Bernadino, Idaho Falls, and Yakima. He is considered to be one of the finest fielding shortstops to ever come out of Sacramento. Outfielders could play as deep as they wanted, knowing that Jim would track down every fly ball behind the infield.

While playing for Idaho Falls in the Western International League, Jim was voted the best defensive shortstop in the history of the league. In the days before helmets, he suffered several beanings that hastened his retirement from professional baseball.

With his brothers John and Frank, Jim played on many teams in the various bush leagues around Sacramento, winning three Winter League Championships for Julius Style Shop in the mid 1950’s.

 After his baseball career, Jim served successfully in the Sacramento County Court System for 34 years in various administrative positions, retiring in 1987. Jim then began a 25 year senior softball career that continued up to his recent illness. Jim was President of the Sacramento Bushers Baseball Association and the Christian Brothers La Salle Club for many years.

Jim, John, and Frank McNamara

In 1950, while playing for Idaho Falls, Jim was the shortstop behind former Sacramento Solon pitcher Ken Kimball’s perfect game.

On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, Jim passed away shortly after watching San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Matt Cain throw a perfect game, the first in the history of the Giants’ franchise.

Sacramento baseball has lost one of its most decorated ambassadors. A rosary service will be held for him on Monday, June 18 at St Anthony Church at 7:30. The funeral mass will be held Tuesday, June 19 at St. Anthony Church at 11:30.

Grilled Chicken on the Weber

King Henry and his Weber.

I want there to be no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he cannot have a chicken in his Weber every Sunday.

King Henry IV (fabricated slightly)

My wife and I throw a lot of dinner parties. Indeed, it is our favorite way to spend an evening. While guest lists, menus, and dinner topics vary, one question seems to consistently find its way into the conversation --- what would your final meal be? 

Given that I adore just about everything if it is cooked right, my answer sometimes surprises dinner guests. It is simply roast chicken on a grill. No beer cans. No rotisserie. Just a trusty piece of Americana called the Weber Charcoal Barbecue. 

A few years ago, I bought my dream barbecue: The Weber Performer. It combines the ease of gas with the results of charcoal. Oh, how I love it. However, you do not need the Performer for this recipe. Any old Weber will do.

A Word About Chicken

The Weber Performer. Proof there is a God.

 An organic free range chicken from Trader Joe’s is our favorite choice. Encouraged to roam about spacious grounds and fed only vegetarian corn and soy based feed, these chickens are free of antibiotics and animal by products. I usually settle on a four pound bird. If you buy your chicken in a store with a meat department,have your meat cutter butterfly the bird. If not, it is easy to do at home.Butterflying is simply removing the backbone and the breastbone, leaving the chicken flattened. A butterflied chicken cooks evenly and it is flatter on the grill.

Spice Rub

There is nothing wrong with marinades early and sauces later to slather on to your chicken, but for this recipe I am going to stress the wonders of various spice rubs. We order most of our  spices and rubs from a company in the Midwest called Penzeys. They offer a rich and varied selection of so many tantalizing spices and rubs that it would take a lifetime to get through them all. The type of rub you use should be guided by what else you are serving that evening. For this particular meal, we decided on a Middle Eastern inspired menu of humus, homemade naan, baba ghanoush, and roasted asparagus. The Turkish rub sounded like the perfect choice. For clarity purposes, I would like to stick to just the chicken cooking information and not the sides.

Seasoned and butterflied.

Preparation

After cleaning the bird, and wiping it down, drizzle a little bit of olive oil to the skin and rub it in. Next add a generous amount of the Turkish rub to the bird, making sure to coat it evenly. After adding the rub, I like to wrap the chicken with plastic bags and pop it in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

If you know the terms in the Weber lexicon, prepare your grill for indirect heat. Simply put,after your coals are lit, divide them evenly on the two sides of your grill.Make sure your grill is clean, and that all of the cooking vents are open.Sometimes, just before I place the grill down I will run an olive oil soaked paper towel across the cooking surface to prevent the skin from sticking. Since I don’t use the juices and fat that drip during the cooking process, I rarely use a drip pan. You can make a little tray out of aluminum foil to place in the middle; it will save you some cleanup time the next day.

Breast side down, indirect heat.

Cooking Time

Once the coals have been evenly divided and the cooking grate has been put in place, close the lid and wait for 3 to 5 minutes. My barbeque has a built in thermometer and I wait for the temperature to get to375 degrees before putting the chicken on.

The ideal roasting temperature for me is between 350 and 375 degrees. If you don’t have a built in thermometer,you just need to trust the indirect cooking method. Unless you have severely overloaded or underloaded your grill with briquets, the temperature should be in the 350 to 375 range.

At the half hour mark.

Place the chicken breast side down in the middle of the cooking surface, cover, then set a timer for exactly 30 minutes.  When the timer sounds, gently flip the bird over and roast for another half hour.

One hour seems to be the magic number for me. The internal temperature should be at 165 degrees.Remove the chicken and lightly wrap it in foil on the cutting board, and let it rest of about 10 minutes.

One hour

Take some pride in your carving skills, then lay out your perfectly cooked bird with its mahogany skin and succulent white meat on a big platter.

The great part about grilling chicken is the amazing array of options to flavor the meat. Take your time and experiment!

Grilled whole chicken with Penzey's Turkish Rub.

The Saw Doctors Come to Sacramento

(From March 2012)

Missing The Saw Doctors

Back in the days when visits to record stores happened weekly, I came across a compilation CD of Irish Music cleverly titled Irish Hits, or something like that. As I recall, the CD featured some old school artists like the Dubliners, Christy Moore, and the Clancy Brothers as well as more modern acts including Sharon Shannon and a band called the Saw Doctors. The featured track was called Never Mind the Strangers and it got a lot of play in my car as I drove around San Francisco in 1998.

Long before ITunes and with an embryonic Amazon, Never Mind the Strangers was my only link to the band. The song is lengthy, with chummy lyrics, and an extended jam session featuring an accordion, tin whistles, and I think a juice harp. The band sounds like they are having a grand time, and although the track wasn’t recorded live, it gives you a sense how of how they might sound in concert.

The Saw Doctors

By delightful coincidence, a few weeks later, I read that Guinness would be sponsoring a music festival in San Jose featuring some of the biggest names in Irish music. Scanning the list of artists, I noticed that the Saw Doctors --- below Paul Brady but above the Young Dubliners --- were on the bill.

My good friend Big Mike was a lover of Irish Music and was always up for an adventure, so off we went to the first Guinness Fleadh to be held in the bay area. It was a hot day in San Jose, but cool under the tent when the Saw Doctors took the stage, and when the first chord of their anthem N17 sounded, 500 people jumped to attention. That’s what people do at Saw Doctors concerts, they jump. For the next 90 minutes Big Mike and I jumped, sang, and witnessed something extraordinary --- the audience seemed to know every word to every song. The songs were nostalgic but not maudlin like so many Irish songs can be, and the band was having just as much fun as the audience. I recall a review in the San Francisco Chronicle extolling their energetic set and calling them “everyone’s favorite band that nobody has heard of.”

Guinness Fleadh 1999 in San Francisco. Big Mike at the far right.

The following year, the Guinness Fleadh moved to the cozier and cooler Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park, and once again the Saw Doctors were on the playbill. Big Mike and I brought a large group of friends this time and, by now, we knew every song by heart. While headliners Elvis Costello and Van Morrison delivered dour sets on the main stage, The Saw Doctors, armed with a fresh stock of songs from their new album Songs from the Sun Street, stole the show in one of the smaller venues. Following the concert, Big Mike and I bought a few CDs, and although the band did not sign the CD’s, they did make a series of esoteric doodles along the liner notes --- an exercise that seemed to amuse the band immensely. 

The Fleadh ran out of stout in 1999 and was no more, but the Saw Doctors found a new home in the heart of North Beach at the iconic Bimbos 365 Club. I used to call San Francisco the 33^rd county, not just because of its lovely pubs and soft Irish weather but more because of the high IQ of its citizens regarding Irish issues. San Franciscans viewed the Saw Doctors as a legitimate Irish band and not some PBS inspired collection of pretty boys singing breathy ballads while surrounded by manufactured mist. The Saw Doctors sing songs about what the Irish and Irish Americans like to talk about: the peace process, immigration, sports, the Catholic Church, the bad economy, and of course the beauty of Ireland. The songs are sprinkled with catchy refrains and choruses allowing the audience to literally become the 6^th member of the band.

San Francisco has a lovely building at the end of the avenues and near the zoo called the United Irish Cultural Center, and the old joke was that the center was not united, Irish, or cultural.  However, when the Saw Doctors came to town, every neighborhood seemed to turn out, even the toughs from the Sunset District. You could rely on the Saw Doctors to make at least one appearance a year in San Francisco, and Big Mike and I would always make an event out of it. In most cases, following the show, the band would adjourn to the nearest pub to meet the locals. They were always approachable and accommodating.

Davy, Anthony, and Kevin join Big Mike for a pint after a show.

One night back in 2004, I met a pretty girl at dinner before a Saw Doctors concert.  Things seemed to be going well and I asked her if she wanted to go to the show. “What kind of music do they play?” says she. “I’m not sure”, says I, “I guess you could call it Irish Rock and Roll.”  She politely passed and I had my last night of being a single guy at a wildly entertaining Saw Doctors show.

I ended up marrying that pretty girl and soon after moved to Sacramento where I lost touch with the Saw Doctors for a few years. Big Mike, now in San Diego, saw them a few times in Southern California, once waking me up with a midnight phone call from a bar where he was murdering pints with the band.

A few months ago, I received an email from the resourceful Amanda McGrath, who handles publicity for the band, informing me that the SawDoctors would be making a Sacramento tour stop on Thursday, March 29^th at the  Ace of Spades.

 Although the band has never played Sacramento before, there are a few Saw Doctor links to the capital city. Michael D Higgins, the newly inaugurated President of Ireland, immortalized in the Saw Doctor’s hit song Michael D, is a cousin of the Coyne Family, who own the historic Delta King Riverboat. The Coynes held a party in Mr. Higgins' honor the night of his inauguration in their restaurant. Speaking of food, perhaps the finest restaurant in Sacramento, The Waterboy, is named after bass player Anthony Thistlehwaite’s old band. The owner and chef, Rick Mahan, is a huge fan of that seminal Celtic group. 

Unfortunately, the Saw Doctors won’t have much time to sample the restaurants in Sacramento, as they have gigs slated for Friday and Saturday in San Francisco, and Sunday in Los Angles before flying back to Ireland. This current tour is their biggest ever in the states, spanning six weeks and covering 29 tour stops.

Leo and Big Mike

If you live in the Sacramento area and feel that your St. Patrick’s Day celebration needs to be extended, do yourself a favor and buy the Saw Doctors new album and a ticket to Thursday’s show. I certainly won’t be jumping around like the old days, but will definitely be there to welcome some old friends to Sacramento. I think Big Mike might be there as well.

Corned Beef on La Caja China

Although often shrouded in myth and legend, St. Patrick was a real guy, and many scholars have documented his life and his travels. Patrick committed himself to converting Ireland to Christianity, a herculean task which left little time for anything else. Life in 4th Century Ireland must have been rough, and after a tough day of dealing with Druids, Patrick would certainly have craved something to eat and perhaps a refreshing beverage.

I am certain that he would be baffled by the way society celebrates his life today with the block parties of loud and drunk people dressed in every imaginable shade of green. At times, I am baffled by it. Yet, there are still wonderful tributes, parades, and dinners held in his honor every year where that gorgeous Irish trait of hospitality is showcased. I would like to think my house keeps his memory alive every year when I invite 150 of my closest friends over for an afternoon of food, spirits, and music.

I am not a fan of the traditional way of cooking corned beef, whether it be in the crock pot or in a pot of boiling water. Whenever given the opportunity, I will grill. The last three St. Patrick's Days, I used my two trusty Webers and the results were good. But this year, with the guest list growing, I decided to employ my new toy: La Caja China.

Since buying my La Caja China ten months ago, I have used it four times, twice for pork shoulders, once for a whole 70 pound pig, and last Thanksgiving for three turkeys. It is such an enjoyable way to cook and invariably I am joined by neighbors and friends to just stand around, imbibe a bit, and enjoy the succulent smells of slow cooked meat. If you have an internal probe thermometer, or an Igrill, cooking with La Caja China is almost fool proof.

There is not a lot of information out there about grilling corned beef, let alone slow roasting it in La Caja China, so I decided to try it on my own and take some pictures along the way.

Step One: The Corned Beefs

Generally, when you use your La Caja China, a large crowd is expected. I decided to buy 8 corned beef briskets. Try to keep them all about the same size and weight. I don't really look beyond what your neighborhood grocery store has stocked, and I certainly don't think one brand is superior to the other.

Step Two: The basting sauce

I like to mix a rich brown mustard with maple syrup, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. For 8 corned beefs, I made a about a cup.

Step Three: The Soak

Your corned beefs are laden with salt, so the secret is to unsalt them. Since my party started at noon, I had to get up early to begin the process. After the alarm went off at 4:00 AM, I filled two big ice chests full of warm water. I then cut the corned beefs out of their tight plastic wrap, making sure to save the little mustard seed, coriander, and black pepper spice packets. The corned beefs were then gently dumped into the warm water were they stayed for an hour and a half.

At 5:30 AM I removed the corned beefs and dried them with paper towels. You need to change the salty water, wipe down the ice chest, then refill it with warm water. Dump the corned beefs back in, and soak for another hour and a half for a total of three hours.

Step Four: Baste, sprinkle, probe, and cover

I then placed in my La Caja China four aluminum cooking tins, Since they are somewhat collapsible, you can bend them in a way that they all fit. After placing two corned beefs in each tin --- fat side up --- I basted the top and sides with the marinade. Next, I sprinkled the spice packets over the corned beefs.

I use an Igrill, but any external probe thermometer will work just fine. Sink the probe half way through the thickest part of the corned beef and run the cord outside of La Caja China. Next, cover the tins, loosely, with foil. Place the metal charcoal bed on top.

Step five: Time to cook

I have a model one La Caja China and that calls for 16 pounds of charcoal, evenly divided in
two piles. DO NOT use Matchlight, stick with Kingsford. Douse the piles with lighter fluid, and after the fire catches, wait about 20 to 30 minutes before spreading them evenly across the charcoal bed.

The final temperature you need is between 160 and 165 degrees. I set my Igrill for 160 degrees, poured myself a Jamisons, turned on some Irish Music, and enjoyed myself.

Remember, as La Caja China cooks, a layer of suffocating ash develops. It is very important after an hour and a half to shake the ash off, and add fresh new coals. With the box open, I took the opportunity to baste the sides of the corned beefs with the marinade. It looked and smelled tremendous!

After shaking off the ash and adding fresh coals the temperature made its way to 160 degrees. It took me two hours and 45 minutes to reach that goal. Once removed, the corned beef sat for about 15 minutes before slicing. Our intention was to make corned beef paninis, so we sliced as thin as possible.

I must say, the meat turned out amazing --- smoked and sweet.

8 corned beefs, coleslaw, fresh rye bread, several versions of potato salad, and lot of sweets fed about 170 people. We also went through 10 bottles of whiskey and a keg. Happy St. Patrick's Day!